Tone-softening attachment for zithers.



H. C. MARX.

TONE SOFTENING ATTACHMENT FOR ZITHERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1915.

5 8 a b w 25 W 1 m y m n H II a 1 |unuunu m 1M H J T w In a M M hnl hnuu 4 w M 3 S a \z 4 NW 0 L n w W/MM as co 1 M 2 J w W UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

HENRY C. MARX, 0F PALMER, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHONOHARP COMPANY, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TONE-SOFTENING ATTACHMENT FOB ZITHERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. MARX, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Palmer, in the county of Washington and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone-Softening Attachments for Zithers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tone-softening attachment for string-and-hammer musical instruments. The accompanying drawings show such attachment as applied to a zither, in cooperative relation to a playing attachment which comprises hammers for striking the strings.

When an operating hammer strikes the string, the tone produced thereby is relatively loud and brilliant, and it is sometimes desirable to give expression to the playing by softening the tones: produced by the strings. Such softening effect may be caused by interposing a piece of soft material between the hammer and string so that when the hammer is operated it will strike the soft material instead of striking the string, and the impact of the hammer will be lessened by transmission through the soft material.

As it is not always desirable to use the tone-softening device, I have made the latter capable of being movedaway from the path of the hammer or hammers; but the structure is so made'tha't the tone-softening ele ment may be quickly moved to and from string-engaging position.

Of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which my present invention may be embodied, and one arrangement in combination with a string-andhammer musical instrument: Figure 1 represents a top plan View of a portion of such instrument withthe tone-softening attachment attached thereto and adjusted to tonesoftening position. Fig. 2 represents an edge elevation'of the instrument as viewed from left to right with reference to Fig. 1, the tone-softening attachment being shown in tone-softening position. Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the tone-softening attachmenton a larger scale, the viewpoint being the same as that of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 represents a section through the tone-softening attachment from the same point of view as Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the tonesoftening attachment from the same point of view as Fig. 3, the tone-softening elementbeing retracted from string-engaging position. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the tone-softening attachment and a portion of the sounding board of the musical instrument, said attachment being fastened to the sounding board. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of one of the fixtures by which the tone-softening element is mounted upon the musical instrument. Fig. 8 represents a top plan view of one end of the attachment, the tone-softening element being in the position corresponding to that shown by Fig. 5. V

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

Before describing the tone-softening attachment I will describe briefly the musical instrument to which it is applied, although it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be regarded as being limited by the specific form of instrument shown. The sounding board of the instrument is indicated at 10, and the melody strings are indicated at 11. In addition to the melody strings, I have shown a plurality of groups of strings'12 (at the left of Fig. 1), the strings of each of such groups being provided for producing chords. Hammers are arranged to coact with the melody strings. Each hammer consists of a metallic head13 carried by a flexible spring shank 14, and the shank is carried by a relatively stifi key or finger-piece 15. The keys are arranged in a suitable mounting, indicated as a whole at 16, and they are normally raised by suitable spring means (not shown) so that the hammer heads 13 bear initially against a pad 17 of soft material.

The string-engaging element of the tonesoftening attachment is a sheet of soft flexible material, such as thin leather, which is preferably slit to form a series of tabs 20, the slits being indicated at 21; The purpose in slitting the soft material is to enable the portions 20 to respond independently of each other to the blows of the hammers, the portions 20 being arranged to coact respectively with the hammers. (See Fig. 1.)

The tone-softening material is fastened to a suitable holder which, in the present instance, consists of a strip 22 of sheet metal. This strip is bent so as to bring opposite edges toward each other to form wings 23, the bend which connects such wings being substantially tubular 1n form, as indicated at 24. The tubular formatlon 2% has a stiffening effect on the holder. The wings exert a clamping action upon the string-engaging material which is lnterposed between them, and such clampmg action may be sufficient to hold the stringengaging material; but if not, the latter may be coated with cement or otherwise secured between the wings.

The holder which consists of the strip 22 is provided or formed with pintles 25 journaled in holes 27 in brackets or fixtures 26, one of which is shown separately by Fig. 7. The holder is thus enabled to tilt relatively to the brackets, about an axis transverse to the strings, for the purpose of moving the string-engaging element to and from string-engaging position. The brackets 26 have flanges 28 which are adapted to rest upon the sounding-board 10. Each flange 28 has holes, such as that indicated at 29 in Fig. 7, for the reception of screws 30 by which the bracket may be fastened to the sounding-board.

lVhile it is desirable to have the tabs 20 rest upon the strings to secure soft or modulated tones, it is not desirable to have the strip 22 touch the strings, and in order to prevent strip 22 from touching the strings the brackets 26 are provided with tongues 31 which act as stops. (See Figs. 3 and 4). Then the string-engaging material is in string-engaging position, the lower wing 23 of the holder rests upon the stops 31.

The holder is provided with a handle 32 by which it may be tilted. This handle, as shown, is arranged close to the left-hand bracket 26. struck from it in position to coact with the handle 32 to limit the movement of the tone-softening element from string-engagmg position.

WVhen the tone-softening attachment is in the position shown by Figs. 1, 2, 3, i and 6, the several tabs 20 stand in the paths of the several hammers 13, between the hammers and the strings 11, so that the hammers will strike the tabs instead of striking the strings. This attachment is capable of being sold independently of the musical instrument, and a person having a musical instrument without such attachment may obtain the attachment separately and may The latter has a tongue 33 easily attach it by simply driving the necessary screws 30 through the brackets 28 and into the sounding-board. lVhen the attachment is in inactive condition, the impingement of the metallic hammer-heads upon the strings produces loud and brilliant tones; but upon placing it in active condition the tones are soft and pleasing just as though each head were provided with a covering of felt or like cushioning material. In instruments such as referred to herein, the continued depression of the key causes the head to continue to vibrate against the strings to produce an effect like that of a mandolin. Hence, the flexible tabs are formed of light material so as to vibrate with the strings without materially damping their vibrations.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a zither having hammers for striking the strings, said attachment comprising soft flexible sheet material. for engaging the strings, a holder for said sheet material, holder-supporting members adapted to be aflixed to such instrument, said holder being pivoted in said supporting members to permit said holder to tilt to carry said sheet material from an inactive position to a position to rest loosely upon the strings, and a stop on one of said supporting members arranged to coact with said holder to prevent the latter from touching the strings.

2. An attachment for a zither having hammers for striking the strings, said attachment comprising soft flexible sheet material for engaging the strings, a holder for said sheet material consisting of a strip of sheet metal having a longitudinal bend and coactive clamping wings connected by said bend, one marginal portion of said soft flexible sheet material being arranged between and clamped by said wings, and holder-supporting members adapted to be aflixed to .such instrument, said holder being pivoted in said supporting members to permit said holder to tilt to carry said soft flexible sheet material into position to rest loosely upon said strings.

3. The combination with a zither having strings and hammers and a soundingboard, of a holder arranged to span a plurahty of such strings, and having pintles at the ends thereof, soft flexible string-engaging material carried by said holder, and fixtures attached to such sounding board and arranged adjacent the ends of said holder and beyond the ends of the hammers, the pintles of said holder being journaled in said fixtures to permit said holder to tilt to carry said soft flexible material from inactive position beyond the paths of the hammers and to rest loosely upon the strings.

4. The combination with a zither having 10 element from a position beyond the paths of such hammers to a position on which the said element rests loosely upon the strings.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY G. MARX.

Witnesses:

MARCUS B. MAY, P. W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,190,784, granted July 1916,

upon the application of Henry C. Marx, of Palmer, Kansas, for an improvement in Tone-Softening Attachments for Zithers, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3,line 11, claim 4, for the Word on read in; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of August, A. D., 1916.

[SEAL.] F. \V. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that in LettersPatent No. 1,190,784, granted July 11, 1916,

upon the application of Henry C. Marx, of Palmer, Kansas, for an improvement in Tone-Softening Attachments for Zithers, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 11, claim 4, for the Word on read in; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of August A. D., 1916.

[SEAL-1 F. N. H. CLAY,

Acting Uommisstoner of Patents,

Cl se er), 

